Clashes erupt in Guinea ahead of election

Clashes between rival political parties erupted in Guinea’s capital Conakry on Monday, killing at least one person and injuring 50 others, the government said.

At least one person was killed and more than 50 others wounded in Guinea’s capital Conakry during fierce clashes between supporters of rival political parties, the government said on Monday.

The fighting, which blocked roads leading to the city’s centre, comes just days before a long-awaited parliamentary election, which is scheduled to be held on Saturday.

The government issued a statement saying that a military police officer in training had been shot dead and that two other military police were wounded by gunfire. Another 49 people were injured in the clashes, according to the statement.

“Once again, the government appeals to political parties to calm down their supporters and abstain from violence against peaceful citizens,” it read.

The violence erupted despite a UN-brokered deal at the weekend to postpone the election, initially scheduled for Tuesday, to allow the electoral commission to address concerns raised by opposition parties over preparations for the vote.

Security officials on Monday issued warnings to people to limit their movements around the opposition stronghold neighbourhood in the capital where the clashes occurred.